Genesis of Langrial Iron Ore of Hazara area, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Naghmah Haider; Sajjad Khan; Rehanul Haq Siddiqui; Shahid Iqbal; Nazar- UI-Haq

doi:10.24294/jgc.v4i2.740

Genesis of Langrial Iron Ore of Hazara area, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Naghmah Haider, Sajjad Khan, Rehanul Haq Siddiqui, Shahid Iqbal, Nazar- UI-Haq

Article ID: 740
Vol 4, Issue 2, 2021

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Abstract

In this paper, a detailed mineralogical and genesis investigation have been carried out in the seven locations of the Iron Ore in Hazara area. Thick bedded iron ore have been observed between Kawagarh Formation and Hangu Formation i.e, Cretaceous-Paleocene boundary. At the base of Hangu Formation, variable thickness of these lateritic beds spread throughout the Hazara and Kohat-Potwar plateau. This hematite ore exists in the form of unconformity. X-ray diffraction technique (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), detailed petroghraphic study and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques indicated that those iron bears minerals including hematite, chamosite and quartz, albite, clinochlore, illite-montmorillonite, kaolinite, calcite, dolomite, whereas ankerite are the impurities present in these beds. The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) results show that the total Fe₂O₃ ranges from 39 to 56%, with high silica and alumina ratio of less than one. Beneficiation requires for significant increase in ore grade. The petroghraphic study revealed the presence of ooids fragments as nuclei of other ooids with limited clastic supply, which indicate high energy shallow marine depositional setting under warm and humid climate. The overall results show that Langrial Iron Ore is a low-grade iron ore which can be upgraded up to 62% by applying modern mining techniques so as to fulfill steel requirements of the country.

Keywords

Langrial Iron Ore; Cretaceous-Paleocene Boundary; Geochemistry; Hazara Area; Hangu Formation

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.24294/jgc.v4i2.740